The University of Vaasa has received funding from Business Finland for the FlexiPower research and development project, which focuses on developing and commercializing the "Building as a Battery" (BaaB) solution. The project aims to find solutions that utilize existing building infrastructure as flexible energy sources.

The goal of the FlexiPower project is to develop and commercialize a solution that enables the dynamic response of building heating and cooling systems to the needs of the power system. This innovation offers a cost-effective and scalable solution for balancing the power grid without significant initial investments in batteries or other infrastructure projects.

In a paper published in Science Bulletin, Chinese scientists have discovered that a PRA (prenylated Rab acceptor) protein, PIBP4 (PigmR-INTERACTING and BLAST RESISTANCE PROTEIN 4), interacts with both the NLR protein PigmR and the active form of the Rab GTPase, OsRab5a, thereby loads a portion of PigmR on trafficking vesicles that target to plasma membrane microdomains. Microdomain-localized PigmR interacts with and activates the small GTPase OsRac1, which triggers reactive oxygen species signalling and hypersensitive response, leading to immune responses against blast infection. This research discovers a previously unknown mechanism that deploys a PRA-Rab protein delivering hub to ensure ETI, linking the membrane trafficking machinery with NLR function and immune activation in plants.